Santa Monica CollegeAS Degree in Registered Nursing

Updated Spring 2021(information subject to change)

Areas and Topics

▪ Nursing Career/Major Exploration

▪ SMC Nursing Program Information:

▪ Prerequisite requirements

▪ Additional Nursing major and graduation requirements

▪ Science courses considerations and GPA

▪ Nursing Multicriteria Admission Model

▪ ADN Admission Assessment: NLN-PAX RN

▪ Nursing Program Timeline

▪ Transfer Resources

▪ Health Sciences Counseling Appointment

Nursing Career/Major Exploration:Videos & SMC Resources/Information

▪ Nursing Major/Career exploration videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4Y_2fpET0U&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr84qi4_S3I

▪ Career Exploration and SMC Clubs:

SMC Career Services Center (current SMC students)

COUNS 12: Career Planning

SMC Pre-Health Association Club (current SMC students)

SMC Student Nurse Association Club (current SMC Nursing students)

▪ Additional exploratory course options at SMC: Introduction to Respiratory Therapy (RES TH 1), Medical Terminology

(HEALTH 61), Human Biology (BIOL 2), Introduction to Occupational Therapy (OT 1), Introduction to Nutrition Science

(NUTR 1), Introduction to Kinesiology (PRO CR 10)

▪ Non-Credit Health Courses and SMC Certificates of Completion

Nursing Career/Major Exploration:Other Allied Health Career Options & Volunteer

▪ Additional Allied Health Exploration: LVN, CNA, EMT

Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN): Board of Vocational Nursing & Psychiatric Technicians: https://www.bvnpt.ca.gov/

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA): California Department of Public Health Licensing and

Certification Program: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHCQ/LCP/Pages/CNA.aspx

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT): California Emergency Medical Services Authority: https://emsa.ca.gov/emt/

▪ Volunteer Opportunities:

COPE The Health Scholar

Department of Nursing Volunteer Program- UCLA Health

The Care Extender Program – UCLA Health

Nurse Transforming Care at Bedside (TCAB) Volunteer Program - Cedars-Sinai

Los Angeles Volunteer Services – Kaiser Permanente

Nursing Career/Major Exploration:Important Qualities for Nurses

Career exploration information website:Occupational Outlook Handbook

▪ Critical-thinking skills. Registered nurses must be able to assess changes in the health status of patients, including determining when to

take corrective action and when to make referrals.

▪ Communication skills. Registered nurses must be able to communicate effectively with patients in order to understand their concerns and

assess their health conditions. Nurses need to explain instructions, such as how to take medication, clearly. They must be able to work in

teams with other health professionals and communicate the patients’ needs.

▪ Compassion. Registered nurses should be caring and empathetic when caring for patients.

▪ Detail oriented. Registered nurses must be responsible and detail oriented because they must make sure that patients get the correct

treatments and medicines at the right time.

▪ Emotional stability. Registered nurses need emotional resilience and the ability to manage their emotions to cope with human suffering,

emergencies, and other stresses.

▪ Organizational skills. Nurses often work with multiple patients with various health needs. Organizational skills are critical to ensure that

each patient is given appropriate care.

▪ Physical stamina. Nurses should be comfortable performing physical tasks, such as moving patients. They may be on their feet for most of

their shift.

SMC Nursing Program Information:Admission to the Nursing program MUST meet the

following criteria:

▪ Combined GPA of 2.5 for Anatomy, Physiology, & Microbiology

Rule 1: With no grade less than “C” for each course.

Rule 2: No more than one repeat in core sciences within the last 5 years at the time of application.

Rule 3: Completion of science courses within the last 5 years at the time of application.

Rule 4: No on-line lab courses.* (*Exceptions have been made for core science courses completed at

SMC or were pre-approved courses/schools pre-pandemic due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

If you have any questions, schedule a Health Sciences counseling appointment.

▪ College level, transferable English Composition

Minimum of (3) semester units with a grade no less than a “C”

AP English exam score of 3 or above will meet this requirement, please contact the College Board to request

your score report be sent directly to the SMC Admissions and Records Office.

SMC Nursing Program Information:Prerequisite Requirements (16 units)

Must be completed before applying AND grades must be posted on transcript

ENGL 1 – Reading & Composition 1 (3 semester units)

ANATMY 1 – General Human Anatomy (4 semester units), prerequisite ENGL 1

PHYS 3 – Human Physiology (4 semester units), prerequisites: ANATMY 1 & CHEM 19 or CHEM 10

MCRBIO 1 – Fundamentals of Microbiology (5 semester units), prerequisites: PHYS 3 & CHEM 19 or CHEM 10

Suggestion: enroll in CHEM 19 or CHEM 10 before ANATMY 1

Suggestion: CHEM 19 is preferred for MCRBIO 1, allied health majors, and many Nursing CSU transfer programs

SMC Nursing Program Information:Nursing Program and AS Graduation Requirements

Additional Nursing Major Requirements

▪ PSYCH 19 - Lifespan Human Development

▪ COM ST 11 - Public Speaking (if completed summer 2013 or later) OR COM ST 35 - Interpersonal Communication

AS Graduation (General Education) RequirementsNOTE: Students who have earned a baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education are not required to complete SMC local general education

requirements. Coursework that is required to earn a nursing degree must be completed. (Per Educational Code 66055.8)

▪ Humanities/Global Citizenship* (Recommended: ENGL 2, but not a GC course)

▪ Social Science (SS Group A)/Global Citizenship* (Recommended: HIST 10 or HIST 14, as these courses also satisfy the Global Citizenship

requirement)

▪ Rationality (Math) (Recommended: MATH 50, 18, 20 (AS only options), MATH 54 (generally CSU transfer path, review www.assist.org)

▪ *Global Citizenship (GC) is a requirement for AS degree. Designated Humanities and SS Group A courses will satisfy a GE area and Global

Citizenship requirement.

▪ Did you score a 3 or better on AP exams in high school? If so, request an official score report from the College Board be sent to SMC

Admissions & Records Office

▪ For additional Nursing Multi-criteria application points, focus on SMC AS GE and AA GEN SCI major requirements.

SMC Nursing Program Information:NURSNG 36 and NURSNG 17

▪ Ideal: complete NURSNG 36 & NURSNG 17 (offered fall & spring) before applying for additional points. Otherwise, enroll during

gap semester (example: apply summer 2021 for spring 2022 admission consideration)

▪ NURSNG 36 – Calculations in Drugs and Solutions (no prerequisite)

▪ 1st 8 weeks section (reserved for incoming Nursing students initially)

▪ 2nd 8 weeks section

▪ NURSNG 17 – Pharmacological Aspects of Nursing (prerequisite PHYS 3)

▪ NURSNG 17 prerequisite waiver request is processed by the Life Science Department if human physiology course was completed

at another college or university

Email waiver request to: ScienceWaivers@smc.edu

Attach transcript, course description/syllabus, include your name and SMC student ID number.

Initiate NURSNG 17 waiver request early as it can take weeks to process.

Health Sciences Counselors or front desk cannot expedite the process.

Science Prerequisite Waiver Requests

Information for students who completed English composition and/or science courses at

another college/university and are seeking to enroll in SMC courses with computer enforced prerequisites:

Contact the Success and Engagement Center for prerequisite waiver request to enroll in:

▪ ANATMY 1

Contact the Life Science Department for prerequisite waiver request to enroll in the following courses:

▪ PHYS 3

▪ MCRBIO 1

▪ NURSNG 17

SMC Nursing Program Information:CUM GPA in Science Prerequisites

Based on SMC ANATMY 1 (4 units), PHYS 3 (4 units), and MCRBIO 1 (5 units)GPA Calculator Resource: www.back2college.com/gpa.htm

“Can I” vs “Should I” enroll in science prerequisite during winter/summer term

▪ “In progress” Nursing program science prerequisites will not be accepted at the time of application.

▪ Implications of intersession science prerequisite:

▪ For any science prerequisite course in which a “C” or better was earned and repeated within the 5-

year recency, the earliest course will be utilized.

▪ Importance of course drop/withdrawal deadlines: A “W” will result in a deduction of points.

▪ Consider the impact of “B” or “C” on CUM Science GPA points & overall Nursing Multi-criteria points.

▪ Consider your ability to understand, retain, and ability to apply the information.

SMC Nursing Program Information:Multi-criteria Admission Requirements

At SMC, the AA GEN SCI is the most common AA degree for Nursing applicants

SMC Nursing Program Information:Multi-criteria Admission Requirements

Completed courses that count toward Nursing MC points:PSYCH 19,COM ST 35 or COM ST 11 (COM ST 11 completed summer 2013 or later)

GE: SS-Group A,Humanities,Rationality,Global Citizenship

SMC Nursing Program Information:Admission to the Nursing program MUST meet the

following criteria:

▪ Good standing student status: academic & in-progress.

▪ If invited, must take & achieve the required minimum score (114)* on the approved Admissions

Assessment (NLN-PAX RN). *The minimum required score determined by CCCCO.

▪ Meet the minimum physical qualifications (immunizations, physical exam) & essential functions required of

Nursing students.

▪ Must have a negative criminal background check & drug screening. Will be required to update regularly.

▪ Must have a valid SSN or ITIN*. *Some clinical facilities may not accept ITIN.

SMC Nursing Program Information:Application Process

▪ Review SMC Nursing application information/button

▪ Information and supporting documentation required at application, if applicable:

▪ SMC student ID number (required)

▪ Letter of verification for work: licensed or certified healthcare worker*/volunteer/other healthcare employment experience hours. MUST

include all required components on letterhead

▪ *Copy of valid healthcare License or Certification card/verification

▪ Supporting documentation for Nursing Multicriteria Life Experience area

▪ Required to be on file with Admissions and Records prior to application: All US college/university transcript(s) you attended/attending, AP

Score Report (if applicable), evaluated foreign college transcript (if applicable)

▪ Have you attended SMC or are currently attending SMC - do not request an official SMC transcript be sent to SMC as the Nursing program has

access to your SMC transcript.

▪ IMPORTANT TRANSCRIPT (NON-SMC COURSEWORK) INFORMATION:

▪ Non-SMC official transcripts/AP Score Report from all colleges/universities attended and attending are required to be on file with SMC Admissions

and Records Office before applying (Dec 31 for winter/June 30 for summer)

▪ Foreign college/university transcripts must be evaluated by a SMC approved credential evaluation agency and are required to be on file with

SMC Admissions and Records Office before applying (Dec 31/June 30)

SMC Nursing Program Information:Admissions Assessment Test

(NLN-PAX RN- Passing score is 114)

▪ After application season ends- eligible applicants receive invitation to test.

▪ If you pass, retaking the NLN PAX is NOT allowed for a better score.

▪ If you do not pass, you will receive letter regarding dates to schedule a counseling appointment to complete a

Readiness Plan contract to be eligible to retest the following application cycle, at the earliest.

▪ Testing typically takes place twice a year: Sept./Oct. & Mar./Apr.

▪ Refer to the NLN PAX invitation letter for additional information

▪ Currently, SMC covers the cost of the exam through grant funding but subject to change and other fees may

apply

▪ Exam covers English, math & science: general biology, human anatomy & physiology, basic chemistry, & physics.

▪ SMC does not cover the cost of study material- workbooks, apps, online test prep. Please study/review early.

▪ Contact the SMC Center for Students with Disabilities, for more information regarding the procedure for

requesting testing accommodations for a verified disability.

SMC Nursing Program Information:Nursing Program Timeline

▪ Four Semesters (2 years)- Fall & Spring

▪ Nursing Curriculum Schedule:

▪ 1st, 2nd, 4th semesters - 8 week courses

▪ 3rd semester - 8 & 4 week courses

▪ Clinical partners include: Kaiser West LA, Southern California Hospital at Culver City, St. Johns, UCLA and the V.A. Medical Center

▪ NCLEX pass rate for SMC Nursing program: http://www.rn.ca.gov/education/passrates.shtml

▪ 94.74% - 2019-2020

▪ 90.00% - 2018-2019

▪ 96.36% - 2017-2018

▪ 96.15% - 2016-2017

▪ 85.07% - 2015-2016

SMC Additional Information:Transfer Services

General Counseling and Transfer Services

General Education Patterns: AA/AS, CSU and IGETC

MyEdPlan Workshops

Prerequisite Waiver requests for English and Math

Preliminary Transcript Evaluations requests

Transfer (Application) Workshops

Is your goal to apply to a BSN program without completing an associate's degree in Nursing?

Nursing: The Transfer Option workshops and information

Most common general education pattern for Nursing Transfer majors is the CSU GE pattern.

Health Sciences Counseling Appointments

Call or email to schedule a Health Sciences Counseling appointment

Front Desk (310) 434-3453 or Michelle (310) 434-3446

Email: healthsciences@smc.edu or aragon_michelle@smc.edu

Schedule a counseling appointment to address Nursing Program counseling related questions or concerns.

If you leave a message, please include your full name, SMC ID number and a call back number.

THANK YOU